Spring-bed



I. H. HOWER.

SPRING BED.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 51 I919.

34131 4:. Ptentedlune 1, 1920.

"' JAMES I-LHuwE:

INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

UNITED STATES JAMES H. HOWER, on new srnnron, rnNnsYLvAnIA.

SIERING-BED.

Application filed February 5, 1919'.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I JAMES H. Hownn, a citizen of the United States of America, re-

siding at New Stanton, in the county of -Westmoreland and State of Pennsylvania,

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Spring-Beds, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to improvements in spring-beds, and has for its purpose the provision of a bed which possesses the following advantages.

The bed will not sag about its transverse center line when in use, as is usual with the spring-beds in common use, and when two persons occupy a bedof the type of this present invention, only the. part immediately under the respective persons is affected by their weight, and there is no tendency for the bed to become lopsided under these conditions. Both of which advantages just mentioned will more fully appear as the description proceeds herein.

All the parts of my invention are readily accessible, and removable, so that the replacing of worn parts, and cleaning of the device, are readily accomplished.

The invention may readily be adapted 'for use with other articles such as couches,

chairs, and vehicles, as will be also described hereinafter. 1

In the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification, I have shown one complete example of the physical embodiment of my invention, and modifications thereof, adapted for various uses, all con structed according to the best modes I have so far devised for the practical application of the principles of my invention.

Figure 1 is a section taken vertically on line 11 of figure 2, showing a principal feature of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a front view of Fig. 1, taken from the right of same.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section on line 44 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of a bed partly in section showing my type of spring-bed in operative position therein. a

Fig. 6 is a transverse section taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 5. 1

Fig. 7 is a plan view of a chair, showing my device adapted thereto.

Fig. 8 is a side view taken on line 88 of Fig. 9, showing how my invention is Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 1,1920.

Serial No. 275,277.

adapted for use with steel or metal longitudinal and cross bars, in lieu of the wooden parts shown in Fig. 5-.

Fig. 9, is a plan view of Fig. 8.

Fig. 10 is an elevational view of a modification of my device.

Fig. 11 isa plan View of Fig. 10.

Fig. 12 is a horizontal section on line 1242 of Fig. 10. 1

Figs. 1 to 6 inclusive show the preferred form of my invention as applied to anordinary bed. The numeral 1 indicates a bed of usual construction, having the posts 2', 3, head and foot rails 4, and 5 respectively, and the side rails 6, 7 as shown. The side rails 6 and 7 are provided with the longitudinal strips 8, 9', rigidly mounted thereon, and forming supports for the interior parts of the bed as will be described. Two crossbars 10, 11 usually of wood (though they may be made of metal), each having on their extremities adjacent to the side rails 6 and 7, short longitudinal pieces 12, 13, are used, and the latter inturn rest on the strips 8 and 9 as shown in Figs. 2 and 5.

At intervals along the cross-bars 10, and

11, are mounted a number of resilient devices 14, which support the usual longitudinal bars or slats 15 and thelatter'in turn support the mattress 16. The resilient devices 14 com-prise a bracket, preferably made of metal, and numbered 17 having at its upper end an outstanding and downwardly turned flange 18, and at its lower end a second outstanding flange 19. The bracket 17 is attached to the'cross-bar 10 by means of two bolts 20, having counter-sunk heads 21, in order to clear the piston 22, when the latter reciprocates vertically under load. The piston 22' is slidably mounted in the two flanges 24 is attached to the depending portion of the bracket flange 18. bypassing the end of the spring through a hole in the said flange, and by a' similar means the lower end of the spring. 24 is attached to the upwardly extending projection 23 of the piston 22. On its upper end the piston 22 carries a crossarm 25, having preferably upwardly turned flanges 26, at the extremity thereo for engaging the edges of the longitudinal bars or slats 15,. The upper end of the piston 22 is preferably screw-threaded, and engaging complementary threads'in the cross-arm 25,

"18, 19 of the said bracket 17, and on its lower end is provided with an outwardly and upwardly extending projection 23. A spring passes up into the hole 28 provided therefor in the bars 15 for a short distance. The purpose of this projection 27 and the upwardly turned flanges 26 is readily seen by reference to Fig. 5 of the drawing, from which it seen that the projection 27 on each of the resilient devices 14, prevent the longitudinal displacement of the slats 15, and the flanges 26, 27 grip the side edges of the said slats 15, and thereby tend to hold the parts of the devices 14 and the slats in proper operative positions. It is, also seen that when any load is placed on the slats 15 that the spring 24 resiliently extends, and the piston 22 slidably operates through the flanges 18 and 19 of the bracket 17 to take the position shown dotted in Fig. 1, and a person resting on the mattress 16 is supported in resilient fashion thereon.

It is further seen that when the piston 22 is depressed, (see Fig. 1) there is a tendency for the device 14 to overturn to the right as seen in said Fig. 1, and carry with it the cross-bar 10, and in order to prevent such an overturn and consequent dislodgment of the slats 15, the short longitudinal pieces 12 are provided, and same are rigidly attached to the ends of the cross-bars 10 and 11. These pieces 12 rest on the longitudinal strips 8 and 9 of the bed side rails as shown in Figs. 2, 5, and 6, and prevent the overturning of the said crossbars 10 and 11. It is evident from the Figs. 5 and 6, that when a person occupies the bed there will be no sagging under the person along the approximate transverse center line of the bed 1, as the weight is distributed by the comparatively rigid slats 15 to the two cross-bars 10 and 11, at the points 29, 30, where the bars or slats 15 receive the resilient action of the springs 24. Further, when two persons of unequal weight occupy the bed 1, only the slats 31, 32, and 33 are affected by the weight of the (say) heavier person on the right as seen in Fig. 6, while the slats 34, 35, 36 carry the weight of the lighter of the two persons, or in other words, the slats under each half of the bed oper ate independently, as is at once appreciated.

Attention is called to the fact that the slats 15 can be readily lifted off the pistons 22' for cleaning purposes, and that when this is done, the cross-arms 25 are readily unscrewed at 37, and spring 24 can then be disengaged from either flange 18 or 23. hen this is done, the piston 22 is readily withdrawn from the bracket 17. Thus any of the parts can be readily replaced, oiled or cleaned.

In Fig. 7, I have shown an adaptation of the spring-bed to a chair bottom, the arrangement of parts being very similar to the bed arrangement of Figs. 5 and 6. The side rails 38 with strips 39 rigidly attached thereto are shown, as also cross bars 40, 41,

and slats 42. The resilient devices 43 similar to 14 are also used in this form of the device.

It is understood and illustrated in Figs. 8 and 9 that the cross bars 10, 11 may be made of steel or other metal, such as illustrated by the use of the angle-irons 44; that the pieces 12 of the preferred form may be replaced by the short angles 45, the one leg 46 of the angle-iron cross-bar 44 performing the function of the arm 47 of the part 12 in Fig. 1. The longitudinal slats 15 of the preferred form can be replaced by angle irons 48, as in Figs. 8 and 9, in which case a slight shoulder 49 is formed 011 the piston 50 to form a bearing or support for the angle 48. A nut 51 can be used on the threaded end 52 of the piston 50, or the end of the piston 50 can be sheared flush with the top of the angle 48 (see Fig. 8) as desired.

In Figs. 10, 11 and 12 I have shown a modification of my device which can be used on vehicles or in similar situations. 53 indicates a special bracket, having a central bore 54, through which slidably operates the piston 55, having the two projecting arms 56 and 57. The special bracket 53 also has two projecting flanges 58, 59, and the springs 60 are attached to the flanges of the bracket and the arms of the piston as shown. The top of the bracket 53 is attached to a longitudinal part 61 of the vehicle (not shown), such as for instance the axle, using the bolts 62 for attaching purposes, while the upper end of the piston is attached to another part of the vehicle 63, such as its body or chassis (not shown). From which it is seen that when a load is placed on 63, the resilient action of the springs can be utilized, and it is also noted that there is no overturning tendency in this form of the device, such as described above in connection with the preferred form of the sprin x-bed in reference to the device 14 and the parts 12 and 10. The piston 55 travels truly vertical in this modification of the device, and equal loads are placed thereby on each of the springs 60.

From the above, it is apparent that I have provided a device of marked utility, for the purpose set forth.

WVhat I claim is 1. In a spring-bed, a metal bracket, having a projecting flange at its upper end, and a shorter projecting flange at its lower end, a longitudinal bed slat having a recess therein, a cross-arm having upturned flanges engaging the edges of a bed slat, a reciprocating piston mounted in the bracket flanges and screw-threaded through the cross-arm into engagement with the recess formed in the bed slat, and resilient means connecting the upper bracket flange and the lower end of the aforesaid piston.

2. Ina spring-bed device, a metal bracket having a projecting guide flange at its upper end, a comparatively shorter guide flange 011 the lower end of said bracket, a reciprocating piston mounted in the bracket guide flanges, a cross-arm carried by the said piston, and having a pair of upturned flanges formed thereon adapted to engage about the edges of a bed slat to prevent horizontal displacement of the same, and resili- 10 in the presence of two witnesses.

JAMES H. HOWER. Witnesses:

M. M. DEMOND, WILLIAM A. HIRTLE. 

